The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1887-07-29

that land can forn an eesaaisasson and ador
. herd Law for tie government Of frec ranes
men. Land Commissloner sparks states that
no person, organization Of association, haa
any right, Of color Of authority, to make herd
regulations q any other regulations in Ne.
spect to the occupation Of lands IN apublie
land strip.
Three express companies have 6led sched-
ules with the Interstate commissioa. To the
others . letter has been cent. stating that in
the opinion Of the commission It 10 obvious
that neglect to Ole 10 Intentional. The com.
mission had not yet entertained considera.
ton as to whether or not the express com.
panies are common carriers and subject to the
interstate act, but notifies them that II IL
now ready to hear arguments II desired and
requests compliance with the law.
The secretary Of state has received through
the German minister 1t Washington from the
emperor Of Germany . check for $1,000 and
two handsome gold watches, embeltshed with
altkeuess and monogram Of the emperor With
the request that the money be divided equally
among the families of the i've members If the
ife-saving crew at Dam Neck Mills Station,
Virginia, who lost their lives In attempting to
rescue the crew Of the German ship Elizabeth
on the sth Of January last; and that the
watches be presented to Frank Tedeford and
Jos. E. Ethridge, only survivors Of the life.
saving crew. The money and watches have
been turned over to General Superintendent
Ktmball for distribution.
The new cruiser Atlanta has been p~ronounc.
ed a failure. When the eight-inch rifles were
fired recently at Gardner's bay, with charges
INTENDED to impart q velocity Of 1900 feet to
the projecule, the clip circles failed to hold
the carriages satisfactorily. The clips of two
six.inch guns also failed to hold the carriages
upon firing. These carriages and their applt.
ances worked satisfactorily upon the trial al
the proving grounds, the eight-incb guns be.
Ing fired at least twenty times with heavy
charges. The conditions on which the guns
are fired on ship board, however, are materi.
ally different from these at the proving tests,
and in this instance the officers of the ord.
nance bureau say the failure ofthe fastenings
may have resulted In large part from the
/ spring Of the arched deck and steel sides of
the vessel.
The commissioner Of the general land Office
has completed the adjustment of the grant to
the state OF Kansas from the Missouri, Kan.
sas and Texas Railroad company, under act
of congress Of March 8, 1868, and July 20,
1868. Tho commissioner finds that the com.
pany is not entitled to indemnity for losses
within its granted limits by reason Of prior
grants and reservation to the United States
by competent authority for the purpose of aid.
ing in any object Of Internal improvement or
other purpose whatever. On this basis the
commissioner finds that an excess Of 293, lSl
acres over the amount legally due has been
certified and patented for the benefit of the
road. The company claims indemnity for all
losses within its granted limits, no matter
how Occasioned, and should this claim be al.
lowed the company would still be entitled to
5O4,U42a acres. TIL commissioner recommends
that suit be Instituted by the government to
recover the excess as found by them. Should
this decision he sustained 1t will control in
the adjustment Of all grants of a like char
acter.
Complaints have been recorded at the gen.
eral land Office that certain land grant rail-
road companies are prosecuting settlers who
have been awarded patents for laud held by
the department. DAVID II. Brown, of San
Bernandino county, California, who states
that his case is similar to that of many
others, and whose homestead entry was pat
ented In accordance with q supreme court de.
cision, says he has been sued in the United
States circuit court by the Southern Pacific
Railroad company, which offers to com.
promise with him for $1,000. Brown
says the company relics upon railroad
judges in California, and that the expenees
of suits are go heavy that settlers cannot at.
ford to go up to the supreme court Of the
United States. Commissioner Sparks has ad
vised Brown that the law in his case is
thoroughly well settled by repeated decisions
of the highest judicial tribunal, and that
suits by railroad companies, brought for the
purpose OF extorting a compromise and secur-
ing payment for land to which the companies
have n oshadow Of right or lawful claim, are
in his judgment, in the nature Of blackmail
or of malicious prosecutions, for which Grim.
inal action will probably lie againstthe agents
of the company. The commissioner advises
that settlers consult competent counsel and
avail themselves of all the remedies the law
affords. He states in this connection that In
the event of such cases going to the supreme
court he will consider the propriety Of request.
ing the Encouragement to intervene in be.
half of the United stetes.
EOKx!GM.
The Austrian government has issued an OF.
der which again permits the expectation Of
horses.
1t is reported that Russia is secretly nego
tlatinv with the governor Of China Turkestan
a. ...-f..a.- A. -